A pharmacy in Liverpool is the first to debut a pilot heart health service as part of the BEAT pharmacy initiative.
The scheme started on March 26, 2026 in Lower House Lane pharmacy and offers “point of care NTproBNP blood testing for people experiencing” symptoms.
BEAT is an acronym of key symptoms: Breathlessness, Exhaustion, Ankle swelling which then leads to Time to get checked.
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The pilot will roll out “rapid community testing” which “supports the early identification of suspected heart failure, improves access to specialist assessment, and reduces time to diagnosis and treatment”.
The “a community-based” scheme is “designed to accelerate the early detection of heart failure and reduce health inequalities across the city”.
It is part of the wider BEAT Heart Failure programme which has been led by the Pumping Marvellous Foundation and the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group.
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This is also in partnership with Liverpool City Council, the Liverpool Local Pharmacy Committee and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside.
Independent prescriber and pharmacy partner Matthew Burgoyne said “proactive screening for conditions such as Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation and high blood pressure is one of the ways pharmacy can integrate and offer greater value to the NHS and better health outcomes for our communities.”
“We hope this trial can lay the groundwork for permanent and national initiatives helping to unlock the potential pharmacy can offer,” he added.
“Early detection”
Liverpool City Council’s director of public health, Professor Matt Ashton said,” community pharmacies are vital to early detection and prevention, and this model will make a real difference to patient outcomes.
“By bringing rapid, accessible heart failure testing into the heart of our communities, BEAT Pharmacy will speed up diagnosis and treatment, improve patient experience, and help reduce health inequalities by ensuring that those at greatest risk can access timely, preventative cardiovascular care closer to home.
“Community pharmacies have been recognised as an essential part of this response, due to their accessibility, trust, and being embedded in neighbourhoods.”
In September, Liverpool council worked with 18 local pharmacies to “develop an enhanced offer around sexual health”.
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The pharmacies were advised to offer “STI testing and chlamydia treatment, and initiate pill prescriptions for routine contraception”.
It also comes after supermarket giant Tesco partnered with the British Heart Foundation in February, to offer free blood pressure checks at its pharmacies.
The service is available in over 350 locations with “free walk-in and pre-booked 10‑minute” tests “carried out in private consultation rooms”.
